St. Benedict's Arch

Category: Civil Architecture > Monument

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Campolide

Location

The São Bento Arch is located in the heart of Praça de Espanha, in the Campolide parish, Lisbon. This vast square, one of the city's important urban axes, features a large landscaped area at its center, designed in the 20th century. The arch is integrated into this green area and invites observation of its history and impressiveness, in an environment that reconciles the flow of urban life with a space for contemplation.

A History of Transformations

Dating back to 1758, the São Bento Arch was originally conceived as an integral part of the monumental Águas Livres Aqueduct, a remarkable feat of 18th-century engineering. Initially, its primary function was to channel water that supplied the Chafariz da Esperança (Fountain of Hope), contributing to the essential water supply for the city of Lisbon. However, in 1938, due to urban remodelling works in the area of the São Bento Palace and the need to modernize traffic infrastructures, the arch was carefully dismantled. For several decades, its numbered stones waited in different locations, such as the gardens of the Ajuda Palace, until, in 1998, the structure was meticulously reconstructed in its current location, in Praça de Espanha.

Art, Engineering, and National Memory

The São Bento Arch is a remarkable example of neoclassical architecture, demonstrating the technical and artistic refinement of its builders, including engineers Manuel da Maia and Carlos Mardel and architect Custódio Vieira. Its design, reminiscent of Roman triumphal arches, features a rectilinear span, Tuscan pilasters in rusticated ashlar, and a cushioned tympanum, all characteristic elements of the classical style. Beyond its relevance as a testament to the hydraulic engineering of yesteryear, the arch acquired a new meaning in 1998. On the occasion of its reconstruction, its lateral faces were clad with stonework where poetic excerpts by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, Manuel Alegre, and José Carlos Ary dos Santos were engraved, as well as a quote from Salgueiro Maia. These inscriptions transformed the São Bento Arch into a commemorative monument of the April 25th Revolution, uniting its historical heritage with the contemporary memory of Portugal.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt